The British Question (Jupiter's Dawn)
The British Question is a geopolitical problem in the world of Gundam SEED, in the Jupiter's Dawn timeline. It is relevant to the plot of the upcoming fanfic 'Gundam SEED: Jupiter's Dawn. It is the Schleswig-Holsten Question of its time and place. The Issue The 'British Question' is a complex set of political, economic, and diplomatic issues surrounding the status of the British Isles, and their relations to neighbouring powers; notably the Atlantic Federation, the Eurasian Federation, and the Kingdom of Scandinavia. For most of the Cosmic Era thus far, the British Isles have been part of the Atlantic Federation. But both Eurasia and Scandinavia have also laid claim; the former primarily citing security concerns, the latter a hereditary claim by the Royal family of Scandinavia, via the former British Royal family. Though a largely forgotten backwater by the first century of the Cosmic Era, Britain nevertheless found a certain relevance due to its position. Located on the edge of Europe, it was also in close proximity to Scandinavia and the island of Iceland; with the body of water encompassed between them being known as the North Sea. Thus simply by existing, Britain was of strategic relevance both to the Eurasian Federation - which included most of the former European Union - and the Kingdom of Scandinavia. The amount of international commerce passing through the region made it a tempting acqusition, while the presence of so many Atlantic Federation - later OMNI - miltiary bases made it a strategic complication. Competing Claims The current 'owner' of the British Isles is the Atlantic Federation; a state of affairs that has existed since the year C.E.03. The Atlantic Federation bases its claim in part on shared cultural heritage, but primarily on the simple fact that the British cantons have not voted to leave the Atlantic Federation; when under U.N. law they may do so by a simple vote of their legislatures, with the oversight of the General Assembly. That they have not done so, the Atlantic Federation reasons, is proof enough that the current situation is satisfactory to all concerned. The Eurasian Federation bases its claim in part on geographical reality; that Britain's proximity to Europe makes it politically, strategically, and economically a part of Europe. It has also complained that the heavy Atlantic Federation military presence - albeit under OMNI auspices - is a strategic threat. Beyond that, its only claim is to accuse the Atlantic Federation of rigging the C.E.03 vote, and of using corrupt means to control the cantonal legislatures and preventing a fair vote from being held. Eurasia has yet to offer substantive evidence of these claims; and even if they did, they risk accusations of hypocrisy in light of their own record towards the increasingly restive European and Middle Eastern cantons. Scandinavia's claim derives largely from hereditary right. The Scandinavian Royal family is descended from the marriage of King Magnus I and Queen Alice; formerly a member of the British Royal family. On this basis, the monarchs of Scandinavia have a claim by blood on the throne of Britain. While such a claim carries little legal weight in the Cosmic Era, it nevertheless provides a convenient ideological framework for Scandinavia's broader ambition; to incorporate both Britain and Iceland into itself, and thus recreate the ancient Viking empire of Canute the Great. Scandinavia has also presented its claim as a compromise solution; to reduce tensions between the Atlantic and Eurasian Federations by positioning itself between them. Historical Background The origins of the British question lie ultimately in the collapse of Great Britain as a functioning nation-state during the middle decades of the 21st century. Like many small and medium-sized states, Britain found itself poltiically, economically, and ideologically incapable of coping with the radical changes that buffeted the world throughout the AD Crisis and the Reconstruction Wars. Isolation from the global economy, a mismanaged and unproductive domestic economy, an underfunded and dysfunctional education system, and a political system stubbornly resistant to reform, have all been cited as reasons for British state-failure. Of these, few if any were unique to Britain at that time. Historians continue to disagree as to how far back Britain's final decline should be traced. It is nevertheless clear that the AD Crisis, from around 2020 onward, was the period in which this decline became inescapable. Like many small states at the time, Britain's economy was heavily dependent on service industries, particularly the finance industry. A breakdown in economic and diplomatic relations with Europe led to an economic downturn, which was made worse by the generally poor state of the global economy. Britain's political system was also hopelessly discredited, with politicians trapped between an angry and desperate public on the one hand, and ideology and electoral arithmetic on the other. Effective policy and necessary reform proved impossible. The decline of the economy, and the public services it supported, led to a gradual breakdown in civil society. Once renowned as peaceful and law-abiding, British society became increasingly chaotic and violent; while the authorities struggled to maintain even an illusion of public order. Between poverty and persecution, more and more Britons abandoned conventional society altogether; creating new communities in isolated or abandoned areas. Over time, these groups came to be known as Outlanders, and would develop a distinct culture. Even more extreme was the Neo-Monastic movement, who isolated themselves from society to a far greater degree even than the Outlanders. In the face of such chaos, it was perhaps inevitable that a dying democracy would give way to tyranny. Britain's tyrant was Andrew Cardwell, the fifth and last President of the Union of Great Britain. Not merely a ruthless populist, Cardwell was determined to wield absolute power, and to remake Britain in his own image; no matter what the cost. He terrorized the political elite and the news media into obedience through blackmail and threats, and brought the military and the security forces under his personal control. He blamed foreigners and domestic minorities for the nation's troubles; especially the Outlanders and Neo-Monastics, whom his propagandists portrayed as asocial freaks. The security forces did his bidding; dragging criminals, dissidents, and other unfortunates off to labour camps, and killing any who resisted. Desperate for peace and prosperity, all too many Britons cheered them on. But Cardwell's power was an illusion, and a theadbare one. His security forces launched dramatic operations for the benefit of the news media, but they lacked the numbers and resources to maintain what amounted to military occupations. In many areas - especially those far from the capital in London - the real power lay with local militias; into which most of the armed gangs and self-defence groups had by then congealed. At first, Cardwell was able to maintain his illusion of power by bargaining with the militias, playing them off against eachother to prevent them uniting against him. Meanwhile, he was able to maintain an income of sorts by engaging in illicit trades with other states; notably in narcotics, weapons, illicit technologies, and even slaves. In an attempt to escape from this reality, Cardwell fell back on an age-old mistake; a short, victorious war. His choice was to stir up a diplomatic disagreement with the Kingdom of Scandinavia into outright war in 2044 AD. The war would prove a disaster, with most of the UGB navy sunk and tens of thousands of soldiers dead or prisoners of war. Desperate, Cardwell went so far as to invade neighbouring Ireland - a member state of the new-born Eurasian Federation - and threatened to use the UGB's nuclear arsenal against anyone who interfered. His supporters applauded this move, and were fired by his ranting speeches; claiming that Eurasia was planning to exterminate the British people. But the only result was to unite both Eurasia and the Atlantic Federation against him. Faced with nuclear annihilation, Cardwell withdrew his troops from Ireland in early 2049. Cardwell's regime would survive for four more years; tormented all the while by riots and even armed uprisings. The end came in C.E. 03, when Atlantic Federation forces launched a daring raid on the UGB naval base at Faslane, capturing the country's entire nuclear arsenal. A full-scale invasion followed, with Federal forces landing at multiple points across the country. Some army units fought back - if only because they could not see their country fall - but many melted away in the face of an unwinnable battle. A week after the landings, Cardwell was killed in an air strike on his fortified residence. Armed resistance ceased within weeks; with militias assisting Federal troops in rooting out loyalist forces in some cases. At first, what remained of Cardwell's government collaborated willingly with the Atlantic Federation; apparently believing that they would be installed as a new national government. But as the true horror of Cardwell's regime became apparent, the Atlantic Federation abandoned any pretense of generosity. Thousands of politicians, civil servants, and military officers were convicted of crimes against humanity, and the structure of government was dismantled. The Canton System was enforced across the country, and by the end of the year all the Cantonal legislatures had voted to join the Atlantic Federation. The UGB was declared dead. Current Status "I know of only three people who have ever understood the British problem. One was Vice-Minister George Allster, and he is dead. The second was a professor from Orb, and he is in a mental hospital. I am the third, and I can't remember it." '' ''Joseph Copeland, President of the Atlantic Federation